Most sites don’t try to break the law. Only a few actively make an effort to violate any kind of law and most of those are generally shut down fairly quickly, either by aggressive hosts or, in worst-case scenarios, law enforcement.

But this doesn’t mean everyone is perfect either. Most sites, at the very least, bend the law and sometimes outright break it.

This isn’t because they are run by bad people but because of the nature of the law itself. Sometimes it’s poorly-written law that is almost impossible to not break (at least technically) and sometimes it’s lack of knowledge about the law itself.

So what are some of the ways you’re probably breaking the law online? There are too many to choose from but here are five you should definitely take a look at. [Read more…]

In the latest move, Tehran prosecutor general Said Mortazavi announced yesterday that the “special prosecutor’s department for Internet crimes” will henceforth work directly with the intelligence services.

They also adds:

The organisation added: “The creation of a special prosecutor’s department for Internet crimes is part of a broader project by the authorities designed not only to monitor online content but also to impose extremely severe sentences, including the death penalty, for Internet crimes. We deplore this department’s increased power, which is a formidable repressive tool and an excellent way to get people to censor themselves.”

There’s no doubt that being successful can annoy people, and TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington has gotten a fair share of haters out there. I doubt he didn’t expect that, he’s pretty straight-forward in his posts over at TechCrunch, and I can see people being annoyed by this guy. I can even see them being pissed off.

Nor does he deserve to have serious death threats and having to hide out at his parents’ house. That is so totally wrong, and I sincerely hope and believe that you all agree with me. You don’t have to be an Arrington fan to be upset with the development of things detailed in a recent TechCrunch post on the subject. It is a matter of free speech, people!

While I think Arrington probably needs that vacation breather far away from iPhones and Macbooks for several reasons, I also hope that this isn’t a sign of things to come. You can’t bully print journalists, you can’t bully bloggers, and most importantly: We can’t accept it!

Google has been ordered to unamsk the identity of an anonymous blogger in Indian that has been accused in a defamation case against a construction company, according to Wired News and the Wall Street Journal this morning.